Perceptions of Insincerity
by Emmie1
Summary: AU, What happens when a village is attacked and a young girl who was sweet and pure has to turn into the very thing she hates most to save something she loves the most? IK, SM


Summary: What happens when a man is on a voyage of vengeance,to take back what is rightfully his and along the way comes across someone with their own agenda, a young boy... Who is actually a woman! How will this fit in with his plans?

AN: Sometimes it happens that your muse decides to tickle your nerves and force you to write something, with plots twisting and turning each and every which direction. This is such a case. I could really use some input on this, I would love to hear your opinions, to know what you think and any pointers you have to give. Please keep in mind that this is a prelude to the rest of the story, so naturally this chapter is shorter than those to follow.

Warning: There are descriptions of gore and bloody scenes. Later on there will also be language.

Disclaimer: All characters etc, are... Sadly... So sadly... Not owned by me... cries

_**Prelude to Perceptions of Insincerity **_

The arrow sang.

And when it hit, spilling blood, her own sang out in celebration.

It continued on like that till a sudden thunder shook the ground and froze her blood in her veins.

The evil aura was strong enough to throw her off her stride. Something she was taught to never let happen, yet here it did. It stalled her in mid-combat. Luckily enough for her, it seemed to have done the same for the enemy before her.

She recovered before him. Dropping her bow, quiver empty it was no longer useful and pulled up from the ground a sword. Delivering a fatal blow into his gut, Kagome allowed herself to turn around and face the new threat. Her face stained with grime and dirt, dried blood clinging to her clothes, the mud smeared over her hair hardening to a breaking point, she looked like a poor excuse for a human being. She was at the point of collapse, drained of energy and dozens of torn and dying men laying around her feet, Kagome smiled ruefully.

Was he the one? Was he the one who declared a siege on her town? Had commanded his army to infiltrate it and kill everyone in it? Was he the one whose men she had slaughtered like one would swipe flies?

Her smiled faltered. No… He was a new adversary… She felt his power… He was a demon. No demon led a human army.. Although… There were those who could take on the shape of humans… Disguise themselves… But not their aura… But if that was the case. Kagome's eyes turned down, pulling her sword out of the solider she had just impaled. Her proof right at her feet. The man she had killed was as scared as she, he was caught off guard – He did not know this demon.

Wiping the blood from the sword off on her pants, Kagome stepped forward.

"Who are you?" She called out in demand, proud of herself that her voice didn't shaking.

The demon stood a silent silhouette against the flames of her burning village, silent in light of the dying screams of her kinsmen. There was a flash of light and suddenly a swarm of demons over ran the land.

"The jewel." A cold collected voice called at her from the horizon.

Her heart stopped, it had simply froze in her chest causing a great pain to manifest deep within her. Was this what all of this was about? The sacred jewel? Was that also what the human army had been after all along? Kagome fought to breath. It couldn't be. She wouldn't allow herself to believe so, coincidence was simply being overly cruel to her and her people. It was a time of war and bloodshed, that is why the human camp had made its move, they simply wanted to pillage but these demons came wanting the jewel.

Kagome smiled bitterly, "You are too late. It was burnt with the cremation of my mother!" She yelled, the demon hordes halting in advance. It almost looked like a giant claw had grabbed them and was holding them still. Kagome tried to remain calm in light of this show of power, she tried to pull off the show, but hated her body more than any enemy around her, because it was betraying her… She was shaking so bad, she had to dig the tip of her katana into the ground for balance.

"Is that so?" The cool icy voice drawled on.

Kagome didn't answer.

"So be it." And just like that whatever force had been holding the demons at bay let go, and they flew forward with hungry joyful cries and howls, ravishing and destroying everything in sight, be it alive or plain wood.

Kagome lifted her sword, shuffling forward she tried to fight –had chopped off a demon's head - but was knocked back by an Oni demon. From where it appeared she feared to guess. Oni's were extinct in this part of the country, or at least so she had been told. What was this army? Whose army was this? Fear clogged her throat as it dawned on her, that this was no regular demonic attack, but something far more sinister and far more cunning. This was plotted; the demons had been collected precisely for this.

Pain seared over her body and a red cloud blew out before her. Numbly through the veil of pain, she realized it was her blood. Someone was screaming somewhere, a primal growl of pure pain. Some far away part of her managed, she still wasn't quite sure how, to recognize who it was. It was her. She was the one screaming.

After what seemed an eternity of pain, a shadow moved over her. She couldn't make much out, her vision had darkened too much to make anything out clearly. All she could see were exceptionally beautiful eyes.

"I appreciate the disguise… But did you really think I wouldn't recognize you? That I wouldn't find you? You have something I want, and I won't stop till it's mine." The voice crooned. "Remember this, when I say I want the jewel, I mean it shall be mine. Next time we meet have it ready for me.. Or I'll do far worse, than I had this time." A silken voice whispered in her ear, before a horrible searing spread out over her neck.

From that point, all she knew was darkness, the same darkness that had begun engulfing her after the Oni's claws raked through the front of her body. Now, that same torn body succumbed to the blinding, blissfully painless blackness that had teased her senses but a moment ago.

She knew nothing else from that moment.


End file.
